On the Cotai Strip in Macau, building quietly is generally not the custom. Every new hotel here is louder, taller, and more expensive than the last. They built The Venetian — and everyone gasped. They finished The Parisian — and no one gasped anymore, they just photographed the tower. But City of Dreams Hotel appeared before them, in 2009, and immediately made it clear: it will live by its own rules.
First of all, it doesn`t have a facade you want to photograph for Instagram. No Eiffel Tower, no gondolas, no Big Ben. Where its neighbors stand, everything is clear at first glance: here is Venice, here is Paris, here is London. But City of Dreams is just a building. Actually, four buildings. But when you step inside, you realize: inside is a different universe.
When and how was it built?
City of Dreams Hotel Macau opened in June 2009. It was designed by stars: the first phase was done by Zaha Hadid Architects, and you can feel it immediately. Then, in 2018, the 40-story Morpheus was added — also by Zaha Hadid, posthumously. The complex consists of four towers, each with its own character. There used to be Crown Towers, Hard Rock Hotel, and two Grand Hyatt towers. Later, the names were changed and reshuffled, but the essence remained: this is where those who didn`t come just for dinner and a quick departure stay.
Interiors of City of Dreams Macau and what`s inside
Hard Rock Hotel is a separate universe. In the lobby — glass display cases with relics: items belonging to Michael Jackson, Madonna, Jackie Chan. Guitars, costumes, records. You can walk up, press your nose against the glass, and examine the pop king`s stage boots. In the Rockstar Suites — round beds, retro furniture, DJ consoles for rent, and, attention, a mechanical bull in one of the suites. You`re sitting in Macau, surrounded by gold and marble, and there`s a bull in your room. If you feel like a Fender Stratocaster — they`ll bring it to your room. Free of charge.
Morpheus, which opened in 2018, is the anti-Hard Rock. No guitars, no rock and roll. Only concrete, glass, and steel twisted into an unthinkable knot. The facade — a mesh of white metal, curving as if the building is breathing. Inside — rooms from 58 square meters with panoramic windows and bedside control tablets. The bathroom is separated by glass, but it`s a special kind of glass: frosted, with sensors, it opens by itself when you approach.
Race cars and "the world`s craziest garage."
But the craziest thing is not in the rooms, but on the first floor, at The Boulevard. There, since 2019, The Arsenale has been operating — "The World`s Craziest Garage." This is not a car dealership. Here they exhibit and, more importantly, sell things you can`t just buy anywhere.
• Renault Sport R.S.18 — the very Formula 1 car they raced in 2018. A single-seat bolide, made specially for collectors, with an Infiniti V6 turbo engine. There is no price, because they don`t write the price. If you need it — just ask.
• Centauri Valkyrie — a private jet inspired by fighter aircraft. It carries three passengers, golf clubs, and skis. The canopy is seamless, panoramic — no one else has one like it. It flies at 463 km/h.
• Rezvani Tank — a car resembling a Humvee, but armored, bulletproof, with a compartment for grenades. They produce four to six units a year. It costs as much as a small house in California.
• There`s also Roborace — a driverless racing car that drives itself, without a pilot. And underwater scooters, and MV Agusta motorcycles, and bicycles that cost as much as a used Volkswagen.
Water show: "The House of Dancing Water"
But the main reason people come to City of Dreams Hotel, even those who never go near the casino, is The House of Dancing Water. "Water theater," "water show" — all these words are too small for what happens inside.
The theater was built specifically for this performance. The hall seats 2,000 people. The stage is not a stage, but a pool of 3.7 million gallons of water. That`s five Olympic swimming pools. In one minute, the floor sinks seven meters underwater. In another minute, the water disappears, and acrobats dance on the dry stage. In 2020, the show closed. Pandemic, borders, silence. They said that`s it, it won`t come back. But in May 2025, the "Water Theater" reopened — completely reimagined, with a new storyline and new choreography.
The plot is simple and eternal. There is the Black Queen, who holds Princess Anna captive. There is the brave Stranger, who accidentally stumbles into this kingdom and falls in love. And there is water — it becomes a wall, then a road, then the main character.
But the plot is not the main thing here. The main thing is how it`s done
Motorcycles launch off a ramp, arc over the audience`s heads, and dive into the water with almost no splash. Acrobats fall from a height of 20 meters onto the wet stage and get up as if nothing happened. Fountains shoot in time with the music, lasers cut through the darkness, and the first two rows sit in the Splash Zone — and leave the show soaked from head to toe. They`re given ponchos, but it doesn`t help. It`s part of the attraction.
The show runs 80 minutes with no intermission. Performances are Thursday through Monday at 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM, and 8:00 PM. Tuesday and Wednesday are days off. Tickets are bought a month in advance, especially for the evening sessions. They start at 288 patacas, depending on the section.
After the show, the audience exits slowly. No one rushes to the exit. Everyone is silent or repeats: "Unbelievable." This is not theater. This is circus, opera, a Hollywood blockbuster, and Olympic swimming all at once.
City of Dreams Hotel is a ready-made scenario for the perfect vacation, where you don`t need to invent anything or rush anywhere. The main advantage is variety: four hotels in one complex, each with its own character, from rock and roll Hard Rock with guitars in the room to futuristic Morpheus with panoramic windows. Nearby — "The House of Dancing Water," the reason people return to Macau: a pool the size of five Olympic basins, motorcycles soaring under the dome, acrobats dropping from twenty-meter heights. This show is like nothing else.
